Mission

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its homeland security mission are born from the commitment and resolve of Americans across the United States in the wake of the September 11th attacks. In those darkest hours, we witnessed true heroism, self-sacrifice, and unified resolve against evil. We rallied together for our common defense, and we pledged to stand united against the threats attacking our great Nation, fellow Americans, and way of life.

Together, we are committed to relentless resilience, striving to prevent future attacks against the United States and our allies, responding decisively to natural and man-made disasters, and advancing American prosperity and economic security long into the future.

In the many years since the September 11th attacks, the Department has marshaled this collective vision to face new and emerging threats against the Homeland. To do so, we are instilling a “culture of relentless resilience” across the United States to harden security for the threats on the horizon, withstand attacks, and rapidly recover. We are raising security baselines across the world, addressing systemic risks, and building redundancies for critical lifelines that enable our prosperity and way of life. Perhaps most importantly, we are forging partnerships to strengthen public, private, and international cooperation and crowd-sourcing solutions that outpace the intentions of our adversaries.

As the complex threat environment continues to evolve and loom, the Department will embody the relentless resilience of the American people to ensure a safe, secure, and prosperous Homeland.

In addition to our underlying core values and guiding principles, there are six overarching homeland security missions that make up our strategic plan:

Since the Department’s formation, each Secretary has recognized the importance of strengthening the integrated relationships between and among Headquarters Offices and Operational Components to optimize the Department’s efficiency and effectiveness.